The Curiosity of Pandora Fields
by DarkAngelSnapeLover
Summary: Pandora Fields is entering Hogwarts for the first time at age 13 thanks to a mix up involving her other academic life at Harvard University. She's obviously intelligent, but that doesn't mean she won't get into trouble thanks to her curiosity. Follow Pandora Fields as she goes through numerous experiences at her new school, Hogwarts. AU, some OOC, and lots of fun.
1. Volume 1, Chapter 1

The Curiosity of Pandora Fields

Summary: Pandora Fields is new to the Hogwarts family due to her busy academic life. When she does arrive, she's a year late, but that won't be her only problem at Hogwarts. Her curiosity will put her in several perilous situations, divided into volumes for your convenience. Be prepared for AU, OOC, and plenty of action as Pandora Fields gets in an out of trouble, all under Dumbledore's watchful eye.

VOLUME ONE: CURIOSITY AND THE PREP SCHOOL

CHAPTER ONE

Her brown, braided hair fell down past her shoulder blades, swinging freely from side to side as she walked. Her uniform was impeccable, a shade of blue that complimented her light green eyes perfectly. She walked with a slight smile, her eyes moving through the landscape curiously as she passed through the grounds. No one like her had ever entered Hogwarts, and everyone was sure to notice.

Her guide led her straight to Dumbledore's office, careful to let her lead the way as much as possible. She liked going new places and being lost sometimes, and the guide knew to let her have the opportunities whenever possible. He would leave right after he introduced her, heading back to her family's estate in London in time to lead her sister to America for a trip. Pandora had just returned from there, but her jet lag from the plane ride wasn't apparent; she was simply too excited.

"Pandora Fields, welcome to Hogwarts," Dumbledore smiled, offering her a seat and a strange looking piece of candy. She turned it down, not wanting to spoil her first lunch in the prominent school. "I'm glad you were able to come here. We were worried you wouldn't be allowed inside, with the security precautions we have."

"We saw only a dilapidated building at first, Headmaster, but as soon as we opened the invitation, the grounds appeared," Pandora explained happily. "You have a wonderful school, and I am honored that you all would allow me here."

"It's our pleasure. A girl like yourself has never entered Hogwarts before, a girl who was mistakenly left off our enrolling lists. But, you have a wonderful story that I need to hear. According to your mother's letter, you just returned from Harvard University in America. I know nothing of Muggle schools, but I know that this one is very prominent in their culture, equivalent to Oxford here."

"Yes, Headmaster," Pandora nodded. "I did a year-long exchange program and took courses there. It was difficult being away from home, but rather enjoyable. My sister is there now, a year earlier than I went."

"How splendid! Will she come here when she's finished?" Dumbledore questioned. Pandora shook her head. "You see, we're unaware of the magic either of you possess. You were left off our lists for many reasons, we discovered, namely your early genius and your parents' stern upbringing keeping you far ahead of your peers. You would only be a Second-Year at Hogwarts, yet you possess the wisdom and mastery of your talents only seen within the professors. It will be a pleasure having you, but I hope we will be able to challenge you like you deserve."

"I'm sure you will, Headmaster. While my family has possessed magical abilities for centuries, we've always struggled with the craft. That's why my parents became scholars, and why they wanted the same for their children. Magic is just another one of the skills I'll master on their behalf, but my sister decided to refuse. Oxford wants her in a junior program designed for child prodigies like herself, and I wish her the best. I want to be like a great-aunt of mine, Agatha Pearson. She held the Quidditch scoring record for a single game until recently, and she mastered transfiguration spells before her third year," Pandora smiled, eying the moving portraits around the room. The magic ran deep in her heritage, but she'd never been exposed to it. The world of moving paintings was beyond her, and her awe was hard to hide.

"I remember her legend fondly," Dumbledore chuckled, following her gaze to the portraits. "I've made sure you're in the history course about Hogwarts, as well as a Muggle culture course to show you the differences between the two. The magic classes will be done as an independent study, at least until you're ready to join the others. You'll be sorted when Professor McGonagall retrieves the Sorting Hat. She hopes you'll be a Gryffindor great, but I've told her not to hold her breath. Each of your ancestors was a Ravenclaw, and I know you will be too."

As he finished his sentence, Professor McGonagall walked in carrying a ragged hat. At first Pandora was disgusted, but she knew the hat would decide her fate. She read a book about Hogwarts and knew that this ritual was done on the first day of the first year, not after the first month years later. She would've been surrounded by her peers, same in age and heritage, had her parents raised her differently, but she didn't want to think of their shortcomings now. It was time to be sorted, and she agreed with Dumbledore about the hat's decision.

"My, my, my," the hat clicked, wiggling atop her head. "I haven't seen one of you in ages! Your parents turned the school down after watching their ancestors do so poorly, but you have great potential. Ah, the knowledge in this brain. Albus, she might even be smarter than you!" the hat guffawed, nearly moving itself off her head as he laughed heartily. "There's only one choice for you, Pandora. Your ancestors had a difficult time in Ravenclaw, so you need to make up for them. Ravenclaw is the house I choose for you."

Professor McGonagall removed the hat as he broke into a song about Dumbledore being dumber than the child, exiting the office quickly with a slight look of despair. Dumbledore told her to ignore the woman; he had other matters to discuss with her.

"You'll wear that uniform to show the other students that you're different, but I don't want you to feel ostracized while you're here. Your house will take you in gratefully and help you through any hardships. And they will help influence your decision about staying another year," he winked, knowing her intention was to return home at the end of the year to contemplate a return. "I do have a warning for you, a stern warning," he said, clearing his throat as she looked to him, her constant smile never fading. "There are dangers within these walls, and exploring could bring you problems beyond your grasp. Stay on the marked hallways, and use this map if you ever get lost. Pandora, do not go exploring within Hogwarts," he warned, using his sternest voice.

"I'll remember that, Headmaster," Pandora, eying the exit. "Can I get a tour of the school and my new home?" she asked cheerfully. Dumbledore nodded with a smile, his stern mood poofing away. Pandora would be his star pupil, and he couldn't wait to see her master a spell or potion for the first time.

Pandora eyed the others in the Great Hall as she took a seat at the Ravenclaw table. Her tour with Dumbledore was cut short by an emergency on the Quidditch field, but she took no offense to the interruption. She wanted to see where all of the students were going, as well as where the greatest smells every smelled were hiding.

"Who's that?" students murmured, eying her from every angle. Pandora merely smiled, selecting different foods to pile onto her overflowing plate. While her figure was slim, her appetite was large, and she devoured almost everything she touched. Boys and girls watched with gaping mouths as she did this, asking questions when they discovered their voices again. But no one had answers about this girl, even the Ravenclaw student leaders.

"Excuse me? I hope you don't mind me interrupting, but I need to know who you are," a tall girl asked. Her dark, black hair fell into her face as she spoke, but she blew it away with a smile as the chewing Pandora looked up to her.

"I'm Pandora Fields, a new student here," she introduced, shaking the girls hand. "I just flew in from America, so I'm a little starved. Am I disturbing you?"

"Oh, no," the prefect chuckled nervously, watching her shove an entire roll in her mouth. "I'm a prefect for the Ravenclaw house. It's my responsibility to know everyone in the house and help them with whatever they need. You know, they mentioned we'd be getting a new student soon. I guess you're who they meant."

"Mm-hmm," Pandora mumbled through her large roll. The prefect exchanged nervous glances with another girl before returning to her own plate, her words getting lost in her thoughts.

Those who overheard the conversation passed information along, and soon everyone was whispering about Pandora Fields from America. The news hit the Gryffindor table within seconds, causing Hermione to spit out her water.

"America? When did Hogwarts start allowing Americans into the school? And she eats like a slob!" she exclaimed, slamming down her napkin.

"Oh calm down, Granger," Draco Malfoy scoffed from the other table. "They'll let in any old half-wit now. The more mudbloods, the merrier!" he grinned, his friends laughing with him.

"She's not a mudblood, Malfoy,"a Ravenclaw prefect whispered. An owl had landed a moment ago, delivering a letter from Dumbledore's office. It explained her heritage, emphasizing her scholarly upbringing in London among the Muggle society, despite her being a pure-blooded witch.

"Well, I was half right," Malfoy muttered. "She's still a half-wit if she knows nothing about her culture and she's a pure blood. Why is she in Ravenclaw anyway? And why haven't we heard of her?"

"Her grandparents didn't do as well here, so her parents decided to go a different route. There are many wizards doing their own upbringing now," the prefect explained, causing Malfoy and his friends to laugh loudly.

"You can't home school a wizard! Look at her, staring at that wand like it's the first time she's seen magic. What kind of fool is Dumbledore letting this idiot in here? She'll turn us all into toads her first day!"

"Some of us would deserve it," Hermione muttered, getting back to her food.

Pandora was still staring at the Hufflepuff table, where a boy was trying to turn his apple into chunks without cutting it up. His headgear made him look like a swamp monster, his teeth jagged and broken from a bad fall during a Quidditch game. Everyone watched as he failed at casting his spell, sending apple bits all over those around him. The only one who laughed was the carefree Pandora Fields, her smile lighting up the room as everyone stared.

"I want her gone," Malfoy muttered. His friends nodded to him, watching the girl as she laughed heartily, shoving food into her mouth between breaths. She was having the time of her life, but Malfoy wanted her gone.

Pandora looked around the small classroom quietly, running her fingers over her braid as she waited for Professor Snape to finish his preparations. She was having a personal potions lesson while he had some free time, and he needed to prepare the ingredients for the mixture she would make.

"Dumbledore assured me your background in the Muggle's chemistry would help you master this skill quickly. I'll explain each ingredient and how to prepare it, then you'll prepare a potion for me. I do not accept failure, and any disasters will keep me from instructing you further. Please use precaution, and stop playing with your hair before I snip it off!" Snape hissed, slamming down a cauldron before lighting a fire beneath it with his wand. Pandora immediately dropped her hair, her face remaining the same as he began his lecture.

Everything reminded her of cooking, which was applied chemistry at a level Pandora could never understand. Her mother could prepare dishes from any country, her latest fascination being with the curries of India. She could conduct a symphony of flavors, filling the bellies and hearts of her family's friends with happiness and warmth.

Pandora didn't have this magic. Her first scrambled egg burnt onto the pan within seconds, the result of too much heat and not enough oil. Her second attempt ended up in the dog's dish, untouched due to a dry crustiness only seen on year-old toast. Her third attempt seemed okay until the smoke alarm started to blare, and she never tried again. Her mother never invited her kitchen again; the risks were too severe. Pandora only knew microwavable or pre-prepared foods; fresh food would forever be off the menu.

"We'll start by slicing this root thinly. Watch your fingers, as any blood will ruin the ingredients and the potions. You must always use precaution in my classroom, or storage room," he scoffed. Next door, his seventh-year students were using his classroom to prepare practice potions for his weekly exam. Pops and hisses came from busy cauldrons, filling the dungeon with a singular smell attached to the potion of the week, a cure for giant-ism among plants. Pandora's potion would be less involved, but he expected the same sounds.

He'd be disappointed within seconds.

"Place them into the cauldron," he instructed, eying the slices carefully. They were uneven, but he hoped they would work in the potion, which started with a liquid base of sea water imported from the coast.

"What's happening?" Pandora cried as the cauldron began to bubble over, covering the floor with an off-colored liquid that smelled of death. Professor Snape looked towards the mixture as he pushed her from the room; he'd never seen such a reaction from a potion before.

Smoke poured from the strange mixture, causing Professor Snape to evacuate the dungeons in an attempt to keep the students safe. They were, hiding in the Great Hall with a few others before the mess could be cleared.

Pandora played with her braid nervously as she watched the cloud dissipate from the dungeon stairs. The seventh-years eyed her with disgust, and the others in the room weren't happy either. Judging by the screams coming from Professor Snape, he was also less than pleased. His dark figure stormed up the stairs, and object levitating in front of him.

"Your hair got into the potion!" he screamed. "You've ruined it! You've ruined everything!"

Pandora instinctively dropped her hair and shrank into her seat. The irritated stares were now irate ones, and it took four people to escort the furious Professor Snape back to his office while others cleaned the dungeon's floor, corroded by the toxic mixture. Pandora only needed one person to lead her back to the Ravenclaw common room: herself.

Pandora ran her fingers along the cool wall. The stone was rough to the touch, but it comforted her troubled heart. She wanted her family's return to Hogwarts to be memorable, but not like this. She had her grandfather's touch when it came to potions, his fingers destroying every ingredient with nervous sweat. Her downfall was her nervous habit of playing with her hair, which now hung loosely on her shoulders. She'd brushed it for hours to get rid of any strays, but she knew they would fall out on their own. They always did; she never had any control.

A room with a wooden door broke her concentration, ending the pattern of cool bumps on her tingling fingers. They were raw from the long walk, taken at night to avoid the glares of seventh-years or the stares from the other curious students. It was past curfew, she knew, but the halls seemed so inviting. She had no idea where she was now, but the door seemed inviting. It broke her concentration enough to allow curiosity to take over. She opened the door, stepping inside and closing it just as footsteps moved past outside.

The glow coming from the corner of the room lit the dark space, allowing her to navigate around the stored furniture that was covered with white sheets and cobwebs. Dust tickled her nose, but she kept from sneezing masterfully as she approached the glow. A sheet was keeping the light dim, but it shined brightly in the room as soon as she removed it, casting the room in a blue hue.

"What is this?" she murmured, touching the object gently. It was cool and reactive to her touch. It flickered, inviting her to poke it again. She did, smiling. "I wonder what it does."

Footsteps sounded behind her, but Pandora could barely hear them over a low hum the object produced. The hum masked a spell, and the light hid the beam of light from a wand tip that caused the object to change colors. Pandora thought she did it, and she poked the object again.

She felt the change as the world began to spin. She crumpled to the floor with three others around her. Three others were at the doorway, caught by the object's grasp.

All three changed together. All three took a journey together. All three became equal in a new world.


	2. Volume 1, Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

The change was dramatic. One minute, Pandora was exploring a castle, and the next she was waking up in a loud room filled with roaming teenage girls. They were fumbling with clothes and items, trying their hardest to prepare their uniforms for the day ahead. All of them were behind, most of them wearing mismatched pieces of the navy uniform: One girl had on the proper skirt and a tank top, while the girl next to her was still wearing pajama bottoms to go with her formal shirt.

"Hurry up, Pan! You can't be late too!" a girl called, jostling Pandora as she ran past. Her unruly hair was pulled back into a pony tail, a pile of books keeping the huge mass from toppling her backwards. She was the only one in a perfect uniform, her shoes polished and shining in the early morning light coming in from the room's one window.

"Hermione, wait up!" another girl called, following her from the room. The hallway outside was filled with students. Pandora didn't have much longer or she'd be late.

Her navy blue uniform was kept hanging at the foot of her bed. It was a metal bunk bed, the top part empty. Pandora didn't know if someone slept there or not, as the bed was perfectly made. She tried to do the same, but the other girls assured her there'd be no time. Most of the beds were unmade, and clothes from the night before we flying off as the next day's uniform flew on. Pandora didn't want to strip in front of everyone, but the line from the room's communal bathroom was overflowing as girls from an adjacent room filled it to put on makeup. She had no choice: Strip down in front of everyone or be late for class.

"Oh, there's the bell! Run, girls, run!" someone cried. Pandora nearly put her shoes on the wrong feet as she fumbled with her uniform. It looked right in the full-length mirror between two bunks across the room, so she scurried out behind the others to join the hallway insanity, a small pile of books tucked under her arm.

The dream from the night before was still in her head. Her fingers felt raw from running them along the stone walls, and her head still felt fuzzy after the sudden change. But otherwise, she remembered nothing. She had no idea where her feet were taking her or where she was. She just knew to keep going, and to hold onto her books if she didn't want to pick them up from the overused floor.

"Hurry, Pan, we'll be late for chemistry!" a girl behind her called. Pandora tried to pick up the pace, but there was a wall of people in front of her. Books went flying, causing a traffic jam as people walked around the girl. Pandora recognized her as the girl from the dorm, her wild hair bobbing around as she tried desperately to pick up her papers before the foot traffic of others destroyed them. Her friend helped, passing her papers as fast as she could, but a few were lost in the madness and Pandora couldn't help her.

"Turn!" the girl behind her begged, pushing her into a large classroom. The seats were filling quickly as a tall, dark man in a suit looked to his watch, counting under his breath. Pandora watched him from her second-row seat as he closed the door in time with the bell, locking out the girl with the wild hair and her friend.

"Try again tomorrow, girls, and don't forget my absentee essay," the professor called through the door. The hallway was surprising empty; they seemed to be the only ones who didn't survive the madness.

Pandora's eyes focused on the professor, who flipped open a leather-bound notebook and began calling out last names. Answers came from the names called, except Granger and Smith, who were outside the door. Pandora answered to Fields quickly, her eyes remaining on the dark professor. He looked familiar as someone else, someone who taught something similar to chemistry but not chemistry. She ignored the thoughts as his lecture began.

Aside from a numb hand, the lesson was a success, and Pandora joined her nameless friend in the bustle to her next class, a literature course with fewer students. Pandora remained with her friend on the back row as she watched others come in. A blonde jock in a Letterman jacket took a seat in front of her, along with his large friends. Pandora's friend scoffed loudly; she couldn't see the board with those two blockheads in front of her.

"Could you move, Drake? We can't see," she said, her voice touched with irritation. Pandora knew this had happened before, but she remained silent as the boys chuckled, sitting up higher to block their view further. "Ugh, do you see this, Pan? They win one soccer game, one!, and suddenly they're stars destined for the major leagues. They forget that no one takes people who don't get good enough grades. Come on, Pan, we'll move down there."

The two found new seats just as the professor closed the door in time with the bell. Unlike the previous professor, the door remained unlocked, allowing two more students to enter the room.

"Ten point deduction, Michael and Sam. Try to be faster next time," she warned, marking the deduction in her book. "Amelia?"

"Yes?" Pandora's friend asked, sitting up further in her seat.

"The next time they block your view, just hit them with a little water," she said dryly, handing her a spray bottle. "By the way, Drake, you and your buddies owe me a book report on _Wuthering Heights_. I expect it by the end of the day or you both will receive zeroes, no exceptions."

Her serious tone made Pandora think of another woman, but she couldn't be sure. She rubbed her temples as roll was called, trying to get the haziness from her mind. Her name didn't seem familiar, and neither did anyone else's. But Drake's name felt wrong, as did her name of Professor McHenry.

"Last night, I asked you to read a few sonnets from Shakespeare from your text. Pandora, I'm still working on acquiring a volume for you to use. Take mine for the class today; I have them all memorized," she winked, passing her a thick volume. Pandora thanked her, flipping through the worn pages with a blank stare. She didn't remember this teacher at all or her lack of a book. She didn't know she needed a book at all.

Themes, words, meanings, and symbols blew past Pandora as she took diligent notes, unsure how she got here or why things seemed so odd. She wanted to ask the girl beside her, Amelia, if there was a nurse's office, but Professor McHenry taught throughout class and a minute after the bell, making them late for brunch services in the cafeteria. Pandora did stick close to her, following her to a table filled with the girls from their dorm room.

"Oh, Hermione! Look what I have!" a girl squealed. She was in Pandora's literature class, one row below Drake. She asked a lot of questions, but not as many as the wild-haired girl. Pandora didn't notice her until she redid her fallen hair with a rubber band from the floor. It was loose now with pieces flying in front of her face, but she didn't seem to mind. A note was handed to her, one written in a boy's hand.

"I can't believe he wrote back!" her friend exclaimed, watching her open the note.

"He said yes! He wants to meet me at the smoothie shop tonight after dinner. But...I have to study," she sighed.

"Ugh, you and your studying!" Amelia scoffed. "You've got plenty of notes and you've already done half of your reading for term. Go out with him and have fun. You deserve it."

"Pandora, you look lost," the girl who delivered the note whispered.

"You've looked off all day. Are you having a hard time adjusting?" Amelia asked. Pandora shrugged, eying the room a little. Nothing felt familiar, aside from the wild-haired girl and the two boys eying her from a nearby table. One was a ginger while the other was dark-haired with a jagged scar on his forehead. She'd definitely seen him before, as well as the blonde and his friends from the table behind them. But where?

"Pandora? Hey, are you okay?" the first girl asked. "Amelia, maybe you should take her to the infirmary. A lot of new girls have a hard time adjusting, but she just looks sick."

"I'm fine. I'm just trying to remember everyone's names. I have a hard time with them," Pandora lied.

"Well, I'm Amelia, and this is Ginny. That's her brother, Ronnie, over there. His buddy, Henry, is always with him," Amelia scoffed, lowering her head. "I heard from a friend that his cousin, Dudley, is a fat slob who got kicked out of prep school for sneaking in a homemade Shepard's pie!" she whispered. The table filled with laughter, but Henry didn't seem to notice they were talking about him. Instead, he looked to Hermione, who saw but looked away.

"Henry likes Hermione, but he and Ronnie called her ugly names when she first came here. She's like you; she isn't from our world, at least not here," Ginny whispered.

"We're both from the middle class, if I recall," Hermione explained, "but we're both very intelligent. I hear you scored the highest at your last school, and you'll be taking more advanced courses next semester if you prove yourself. Isn't that what the headmaster told you?"

"I can't remember," Pandora replied honestly. The group immediately broke into laughter. "Why is that do funny?"

"You'd never forget a conversation with this guy. He fancies himself to be a wizard," Ginny mocked, causing the girls to roll in their seats. "He does lame magic tricks at every assembly. It got old after the third year, I swear!"

"He takes lunches in his office," Amelia said, watching Pandora gaze around the room for him. "If you're having trouble adjusting to life outside Yale, you should talk to him. I'm sure he'll make you feel better."

"How do I make an appointment?" Pandora asked. The others scoffed.

"The man owns color wheels instead of clocks. I'm sure he'll find the purple for you," Ginny cackled, causing the girls to roll in their seats as well.

The laughter quickly ended as the bell rang. But rather than journey to advanced algebra with Amelia, she was lead to the headmaster's office, hopefully to get some answers about her current problems.

"Sit, sit," the old man instructed, watching as Pandora took a seat in front of his desk. "I have a lot to discuss with you and not much time."

Pandora eyed the man carefully. He looked more familiar than any of the others, with his long white robes and eyes that begged for both laughter and information. She even had a name for this man: Albus Dumbledore. She smiled happily as he took his seat. Maybe she could get some answers too.

"I remember you. Please, tell me what's going on," Pandora begged.

"You disobeyed me," he replied sternly, slamming a wrinkled hand onto the surface of the desk. Pandora's smile faded instantly. "I strictly informed you that Hogwarts was a dangerous place, not for curious explorers who want to poke their little fingers at things that didn't belong to them! You've done something unthinkable, Miss Fields, and I have little patience for you! You looked like this was a game when you came in here," he whispered, pointing to the door. "That is not a game, nor will it ever be."

"How do I fix it?" Pandora asked, tears streaming down her face.

"I'll have to do something on the other side, but you're in charge of damage control. No one is the same as they were, but you must decipher who is of our world and who is not. Even I will turn into someone different at sunset tonight. I have to go back while the portal is still alive, but you'll stay until a solution is met, until everyone from our world is picked out and escorted home safely."

"How will I get them back? Will there be a way to contact you?"

"This amulet came with the device centuries ago. It was a different color until now," Dumbledore explained, dropping the blue amulet into her palm. "According to the book that also came with the device, this should allow me to communicate with you. There is no way of keeping track of time, so I'll check back with the device a few hours a day. As soon as everyone is accounted for, contact me. If you encounter any major problems, this is who you should contact," he said, jotting a name down on a scrap piece of paper. "A man from the Ministry of Magic was staying with us in Hogwarts that night. He was going after some students who were planning something, but he never got a chance to tell me what. He's not in the school, I thought, but maybe you can find him. He and three of my professors are here, along with ten students. You've already found some, but the others will be difficult.

"And please, whatever you do, don't let your curiosity get the better of you again. This time, we should be able to fix the damage, but next time? Well there better not be a next time, Miss Fields," Dumbledore said sternly, eying the clock that ticked furiously on his desk. "I'll be leaving soon. I wrote a letter telling you about Hogwarts. It's sad that you only had one day there before this happened. It'll make your job harder, much harder."

"I'll do everything I can, Headmaster," Pandora promised, putting on the amulet.

Dumbledore nodded before grabbing a stick-like object from his desk and moving into a side room. A flash of light came from under the door, but Dumbledore never returned. It was up to Pandora to do things now, to fix the wrongs she created. And she needed to work fast. She couldn't figure out why, but she knew swiftness was important.


	3. Volume 1, Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

Pandora looked over her physics class carefully. She was thirty minutes late, but the tiny professor didn't seem to notice her arrival. He was standing atop a lab table, ranting about force and inertia, staring at a poor student on the second row. Pandora's open seat was on the fifth row, just one from the back, and Hermione had saved her seat with her backpack. She'd also taken notes, though her pen was currently quiet.

"You missed two periods," Hermione whispered. "What all did you and the headmaster talk about?"

"Just a little problem I was having. It's fine now," Pandora lied, smiling as she began to copy Hermione's notes into her own notebook. "What's going on?"

"He made a joke about inertia, and this teacher hates humor about his subject. He's now yelling the concepts at him again to make sure he understands. I'm sure he does," Hermione scoffed, taking back her notebook as I completed the notes.

"Do you know what my last class was?" Pandora asked. Hermione nodded, passing her a notebook filled with equations and practice problems. Pandora knew most of the material already, but she copied down every number and letter. Though the notes were four pages long in Hermione's notebook, six in Pandora's because of her large handwriting, the professor still wasn't finished tormenting his resident class clown.

Pandora used the moment to make an abbreviated list on the inner cover of her composition notebook. Hermione was the wild-haired girl from Gryffindor that sat with Harry and Ron. "Henry" and "Ronnie" were their new names, but she already saw them in the cafeteria. "Drake" and his friends were also familiar from another table, but she couldn't remember what house the table belonged to. That gave her six students altogether, meaning four more were still out there.

'But what if I count as one of the ten students? I know he's upset with me, but am I one of them or a number all my own?' Pandora thought, jotting her initials next to the list with a question mark beside it. She wished she'd asked Dumbledore that question before he left, but she knew she'd figure things out eventually.

"Are you up for gym next period? Our coach is quite taxing," Hermione warned, closing her notebook while she eyed her watch. The professor was still ranting, but the bell would ring at any moment to signal class change.

"I should be," Pandora sighed, closing her notebook just as the bell rang.

The hallway was just a mass of people to her, but she knew to follow the wild-haired girl and Amelia if she wanted to get where she was going. They exited the school through a side entrance, nearly running to a building next to a soccer pitch. Inside, they dressed into a work out uniform, still navy blue in color. Pandora had one in a locker that she didn't have a combination to, but Amelia had a clean set she could wear. Again, the room was crowded with no privacy, so Pandora dressed out in front of the girls with her eyes to the floor.

"Get a move on, girls! I haven't got all day!" a gruff man warned them from the door. Pandora quickly tied her white sneakers, borrowed from Hermione's friend, before following the others outside. The coach, a pudgy man with thick, dark hair, yelled out their last names. When they answered, he pointed them to one side of him or the other. Pandora was assigned the left; Amelia, Hermione, and the others she knew went to the right.

The soccer ball was put between them, along with two piles of toss-on jerseys. Pandora adjusted the straps as the whistle blew, sending each team scrambling for the ball. The unannounced soccer game had begun.

The coach watched from a set of bleachers on the sidelines, picking through a bag of chips and other unhealthy items. Many of the girls eyed him carefully, especially when he whistled and yelled for us to try harder. 'Why should we?' their eyes begged, but they knew better than to stop.

When the grueling double period was over, the girls headed into their dorms to shower before an afternoon of study hall. Pandora glanced at her notes, but her mind was on her task. Could the tiny professor be the third professor? What about the ridiculous coach? Could he be the Ministry of Magic official that Dumbledore couldn't find?

She needed more answers, more than the small pieces of information he gave her. Why couldn't she contact him that night and ask who was missing on the other side? He may've been mad at her, but he could still give her the answers she deserved. Many of their names had changed as well, so having the scrap of paper burning into her pocket felt unhelpful as well. If this was his way of punishing her for touching what didn't belong to her, it was working well.

"Pan?" Amelia whispered, tapping her arm. "Did the headmaster help you work through some things? You look even worse than before."

"I'll be fine, but thanks for asking," Pandora smiled, flipping the page of her notebook to seem busy. Amelia watched her skim the lines for a moment before returning to her own work, namely her literature assignment. Pandora received her book next, carefully reading the assigned pages and making notes. But her mind was on the tasks, the people she had to bring back. How would she ever do it? She had no choice, she told herself, and she began to think furiously on a solution.

The morning was less busy than the day before. Each student had to put on their formal uniform and make sure their hair was fixed properly. Almost everyone just used more pins and spray than usual, but Hermione and Amelia took over a sink in the bathroom to attempt to do something with Hermione's hair. Many people offered the tip of cutting it down to size, but the girl refused. Besides, a backwoods haircut in a prep school dorm would probably make her worse.

The assembly hall reminded her of the Hogwarts place Dumbledore reminded her of. Memories of her one day came to her in her sleep, especially images of iconic places like the dungeons or the Great Hall. She dreamed that each of the professors were still there, and the students never left either. Everyone was accounted for except her, and everyone gossiped about where the new girl would've gone after only one day at Hogwarts. Draco was mean, saying she deserved it for knowing so little about magic. Others like Harry and his friends tried to come up with logical solutions without much luck. Ravenclaw was silent; they didn't feel like she belonged with them anyway.

The dreams plagued her daydreams as the new headmaster took to the stage, a bald man with odd scars on his face. His nose seemed fake, like a costume mask shriveled under heat. His eyes were dark, and the vibe that came off him was RUN!

Henry was two rows down in the boys' section, and Pandora watched as he grabbed his bleeding nose and left the auditorium before the man could start talking. Ronnie, Ginny, and Hermione watched sympathetically until the doors closed and the speaking began.

"I am Lord Vanderbilt, here to turn around Langley Prep Academy," the man hissed, his voice serpent-like. "I have much to announce to each of you, things you need to know if you wish to remain apart of the Langley Prep experience. A new handbook is being passed out now by your lovely professors. Read it, memorize it. You'll be living by these rules for the rest of your time here, and disobedience is not an option. You'll bow to your elders, treat them with respect. You'll learn only what I want you to learn, turning your little curriculum on their head!" he grinned. "You'll all learn that I am the most powerful man in your lives, and you will all but worship me and this power!"

This man seemed insane, Pandora thought, grabbing a handbook as it was passed by. The uniforms were changing, and sets were to be distributed that afternoon in the entry hall. Class periods were changing in length, most of them doubling in time. Meal times were changing with just one communal meal a day, but Pandora knew the kitchen and dining hall would probably be off limits, despite the rules listed. This man had a major dark side, one that made her skin tingle. Henry had a physical reaction, but hers was all gut.

"You'll report now to your revised first period. Enjoy the extra time with them, professors, and don't forget to increase your work loads and to adhere to the new agenda," the headmaster smirked, watching as the crowd disbursed in designated lines. Unlike yesterday, class change was methodical. Everyone reported to their classrooms without a sound, all while following the person in front of them. No one dropped their books, no one fell behind, and no one broke the order the new rules created. No one dared to look behind them either as Headmaster Vanderbilt weaved between the lines with a devious smile. This was his regime now, all his, and Pandora was scared of what that could mean.

The literature books were distributed by Professor McHenry, all three of them. All were thin books, more like hard-bound pamphlets than text books. Each contained the biography of different men that Pandora and the others had never heard of, yet they would have to learn of them now. All three were entrepreneurs, all three were powerful in their fields. One was from the American past, a well-documented slave owner. Pandora remembered taking a class on slavery, and this man was an easy topic to cover. For almost a decade after the Civil War, he maintained his slaves in an abandoned warehouse, housing them in barracks underneath the facility. Each day, he fed them slop not fit for a pig and worked them until sundown or later, depending on his mood. The new headmaster reminded Pandora of him, and she trembled at the thought of becoming his slave.

"I have no control over the curriculum. We are to read these books now out loud and discuss the impact of each of these...great leaders as we go along. Everyone will read two pages, starting in alphabetical order. Begin," Professor McHenry commanded weakly. She was just as skeptical as they were about these new literary greats, but she also knew not to argue either, even if the reading made no sense to her or anyone else.

The first five pages was the personal mantra of an oil tycoon. He spoke with inflated language, making it hard to read, and no one could come up with anything great to say about him. Professor McHenry's enthusiasm about literature faded with the old texts, and she had nothing to add as they just read on, pausing every few pages to switch readers.

The life was fading from the school, and Pandora knew she needed to act fast if she wanted to save the place, and the Hogwarts affiliates within.

Days passed in dull sweeps. Students were silent except for whispers, and even those were well-chosen. Headmaster Vanderbilt was everywhere, it seemed, and many students were expelled without much reason. No one from Pandora's dorm had been targeted, but girls from other dorms were disappearing for wearing too much makeup or sneaking phone calls with mobile devices. The rules were strict and the consequences were great, making Pandora even more desperate to find out who was from Hogwarts.

The only name she added to the list was Ginny's. Though she never met her, if she was Ron's sibling in Hogwarts, they must both be from Hogwarts here, since they were still siblings. No one else came to mind for her to add, and asking Ginny about more siblings seemed too invasive, especially with the controlled atmosphere they now lived in.

The name Dumbledore gave her never appeared, causing Pandora more frustration. While there were similar names around the school, none felt right for this Ministry of Magic official. Whoever he was would remain a mystery, she felt, but she wanted more answers before things with Headmaster Vanderbilt got out of control.

Study hall became a nightly ritual, and the girls spent hours reading in the library. The only sound came from the flipping of pages and the writing of pens, but confused looks were on everyone's face. Propaganda material filled each courses curriculum, even algebra and physics. The algebra teacher assigned readings on a mathematician famous for his role in slave trading, and the physics teacher had them doing reports on famous physicists working on mind control equipment. Even the chemistry professor had them reading up on terrorist chemists between classes, though his experiments continued during classroom hours.

Headmaster Vanderbilt was becoming a dictator, and students were expelled by the day for going against his wishes. If you came into the kitchens at any time other than the designated meal time at one-thirty, you were sentenced to the school's new work camp, digging trenches for some unknown project. Professors were next; anyone who assigned something other than the designated literature joined the project—without pay.

On the fourth night of this disaster, the girls around Pandora snored slightly in their sleep. She moved into the empty bathroom, locking the doors behind her. She curled up in a shower stall, still wet from the ten-minute showers everyone had before bed. She pulled out the amulet, rubbing its surface and watching the colors change. Her memories of Hogwarts, even those from her final moments there, had returned in her sleep, and she recognized the reaction to be the same as the one in the mysterious room.

"Headmaster Dumbledore? Can you hear me?" she whispered onto the amulet's surface, watching it flicker from blue to green as she spoke. It flickered a few times before his voice came through, turning the amulet red.

"I hear you just fine, Pandora. Do you have information for me?" he asked. She nodded to herself before pulling her notebook from under her t-shirt.

"Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, and Ron Weasley are all here, but the boys' names are different. Ron's sister, Ginny, is here too, as well as Draco Malfoy and his two friends," she said quickly. "Professor Snape is here, as well as Professor McGonagall, but I haven't discovered the third professor. I'm not sure about that Ministry of Magic guy either. No one here is named Nicholas, only Nick or Nikki."

"I lied to you about that," Dumbledore sighed. "Who replaced me as headmaster?"

"A guy named Vanderbilt," she replied, feeling tears prick her eyes. "He's a dictator. He's changed the curriculum to propaganda material, and he's changed the rules. It's terrible here, Headmaster. Please, I need your help finding out who else is here so we can go back to Hogwarts."

"It won't be that easy now. Headmaster Vanderbilt is the guy I was looking for. I lied when I told you he worked with the Ministry of Magic. He's a very evil man, Pandora, and I want you to obey him as much as you possibly can, as well as the others. Be discrete, of course, but...obey him if you want to keep your lives," he warned, clearing his throat slightly. "But I want you to try to keep Vanderbilt from expanding."

"He's already got people digging trenches as punishment. I don't know what they're for, but-"

"He wants to build a full-sized platform for the device. Hogwarts houses some of the greatest witches and wizards of our world, and if he can bring them there, he'll erase them completely. Copies of each person still remains, but they have a connection to you. Harry and his friends, as well as Draco Malfoy and his friends, have all reported strange dreams to the nurses where they act as Muggles. Harry often reports nightly nosebleeds when he sees a disfigured character, probably this Vanderbilt character.

"The only exception is you, Pandora. You're gone from this place completely because you touched the device. You don't exist here now, just where you are in this moment. You must be careful. If he discovers this weakness, he will surely destroy you. And because you're the only one who can contact me, that makes you doubly valuable."

"How am I supposed to fix this with so much going on? We can only eat one meal a day, and classes have grown more and more crazy."

"Persevere, Miss Fields, and whatever you do, make sure you keep our communication as quiet as possible. I will tell you that a professor Flitwick is there with you, a very small man with greying hair. If you see him-"

"He's my physics professor, but his name is Filtz."

"Good, good," Dumbledore nodded. "I'll let you know if any other students report strange dreams. That leaves...just three more. Can you handle that?"

"I'll do what I can, Headmaster."

"Go back to your duties now, and be careful."

Pandora nodded, watching as the amulet turned back to its blue glow. She hid it under her shirt and scurried back into bed, just in time for a bed check from one of the professors. She was lucky that her desperate attempt at information yielded some. She just wished things were simpler, and she wished she'd just listened to Dumbledore in the first place.


	4. Volume 1, Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

The day trip into Hollendale High surprised the students. Each were assigned formal uniforms and led into a large bus, capable of taking all of Pandora's grade to the neighboring high school. It was a lot like the current one, now named Vanderbilt Prep, but the students at this high school were normal, attending as apart of a public program that was mostly free. There were uniforms, but they weren't the quality of Vanderbilt's or Hogwarts's uniforms, causing the professors to smile. Many of them joined the group, keeping a watchful eye over the silenced students.

"We're going into the auditorium first. You are to sit on the stage and be well behaved. Do everything you're told, or there will be consequences," Headmaster Vanderbilt warned, echoes his dark voice taking his place as he departed the bus. The students followed with the professors watching them carefully, leaving the bus last to make sure each of them exited promptly.

The auditorium was a rally event, it seemed. Posters of Headmaster Vanderbilt were held high above the cheering students as they entered the room, careful not to look too hard on the students in case that was against the rules. Amelia was in front of Pandora, helping her keep pace in the rowdy environment. They were seated beside each other on stage, both of them on the front row. An assistant from Hollendale handed them a flier with a song written on it. They kept it locked in their hands as Headmaster Vanderbilt was introduced by the superintendent of the county.

"It's a rare occasion that we offer our students assemblies of this magnitude during school hours, but it's also rare to have a man such as Nikki Vanderbilt. He's building an education empire at his preparatory school nearby, and I feel honored to have him so close. Our area has searched for a man like him for ages, and it's nice to have him. Say good morning to your new principal, Master Vanderbilt."

The auditorium erupted with screams and cheers as Headmaster Vanderbilt took the podium, careful to look as strict as possible. Whatever lies he fed to this superintendent and these students were about to backfire, but only the prep school students knew.

"Silence!" Vanderbilt hissed, causing major feedback in the microphone, instantly silencing the crowd as everyone grabbed for their ears. "A new regime is in town, a new way of life, a new power!" he called to the group. When they remained silent, he ordered them to cheer with his hands. He sneered at the group, eying his own behind him before returning to his speech. "I am here to better all of you, to better this school, this nation! You'll learn of powerful figures, figures responsible for your well-being and amazing history. Each of you will know your true creators, and their legacies, the true leaders of the free world.

"Behind me sit young people who know the truth, who know the true power of the true leaders. Please, stand and sing for me. You already know the words; it's a montage of power songs from all of the great leaders. Music!" Vanderbilt called, gesturing for everyone to stand. They did, grabbing their handouts and looking forward.

Pandora's eyes immediately met a group of young students, the smallest in the room. She remembered them from the Great Hall, specifically the table where Harry Potter and his friends sat. One was chatting softly to the second one, while the third tried to take pictures of Headmaster Vanderbilt. All three were discovered as the place silenced in preparation for the song, and they were led out by the chemistry professor, well out of Pandora's view.

She had a hard time saying the words, let alone singing them. She'd found the final students, hidden among this high school miles away from the prep school. The magic must've pulled the three of them into this alternate universe with the others, but it sent them farther away because they were farther away in Hogwarts. Excitement filled her, but also fear. What was supposed to happen now?

When the song ended, the students were cheering for a different reason. A feeling had occurred while the group sang, a feeling of magic. It was a spell, a long and detailed spell, but it had worked on all of the students listening, all except three.

That night, Pandora went into the bathroom again, or at least tried to. The doors had been locked, and she knew she couldn't contact Dumbledore from her bed. She was officially trapped here, locked inside the room by aids that were supposed to care for their well being.

But everyone was under Vanderbilt's spell now, even the others. They worshiped their new headmaster, no longer complaining about one meal a day or watching their friends disappear into the trenches. No one questioned him anymore, including the students she'd sent here in the first place. Hermione no longer glanced at other textbooks before bed, and Ginny stopped trying to write stories by moonlight. They did fully what they were told without a second thought. They'd fallen victim to his propaganda.

"Dumbledore!" Pandora called a tenth time. She'd been asked to perform an errand for Professor Snape's double, sending her into a copy room for more material. As the machine ran, she used its sounds to hide her conversation, but Dumbledore refused to answer. It was as if he couldn't hear her, like the connection was being blocked.

When she returned to class, she felt the amulet glow against her chest. No sounds came through, thankfully, but she knew this was a different color. The amulet was trying to free itself from the grasp of the magic, defending itself and hopefully allowing Pandora to make her call to Dumbledore.

It was well after midnight when Pandora shoved herself into a corner of the room. The amulet glowed when she spoke, then changed to an odd shade of purple a moment later. Then, the red she recognized and a voice from the other side.

"Pandora, what's going on? The machine has acted funny all afternoon," Dumbledore whispered quickly.

"He's expanding, Headmaster. I've found the three other students, but...there's a problem. He's using magic to brain wash everyone. Those three were escorted from the area before it went into effect, but everyone here is affected now. Please, we need to fix this before it gets any worse. I need your help," Pandora begged.

"I need all of you to be together for the magic to work. You must find a way, Pandora, no matter what the cost. He's using magic to block our connection. He knows about this, but he isn't sure of the source or reason. He'll be searching for it, which means we must stop communications. Only call me again if you've brought everyone together. Good night, Pandora, and be careful," Dumbledore warned, the connection fading.

Pandora quickly crawled back into bed. She had to think of what to do, but she already had an answer, a very unpleasant one.


	5. Volume 1, Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

She'd seen the prank at Harvard, a favorite among the dorm clowns. You take leftover scraps and store them in your room, stinking up the place with no distinct source. When the food was at its most foul, you plant the pieces with the people you wanted to cause problems with. At Harvard, this meant ending the dating chances of others or getting people kicked out of class for being too stinky. At Vanderbilt Prep, it meant going to the trenches.

Three days of festering passed before the food was ripe enough. It was hard enough to gather the scraps in the first place, but distributing them would pose a new problem. Hermione and Ginny would be easy, as well as Draco and his friends because they had literature together. But Pandora rarely saw Harry or Ron, and she had no contact with the boys from the other school. Her plan seemed to be failing before it began, and Pandora began to doubt herself as another day passed.

The fourth day was a Saturday, and students from the other school came to the trenches to begin work. Pandora watched as the three boys took to shoveling dirt and carting around wheel barrows. All she had to do was get everyone to join them, including the professors.

The food idea was scrapped as she found each of the students working on a project together in the library. Professor Snape's double was nearby with Professor McHenry, chatting about the importance of one of the propaganda figures. The other professor was behind a shelf half-empty of books, flipping the pages of one while standing on a chair.

"Pandora, do you want to join us? This is an extra credit project, and we could all use the points," Hermione offered.

"I actually wanted to show you all something outside. I found this plant, but I'm not sure what it is," Pandora replied, intentionally speaking a little too loud. All three professors converged, and before they could protest, all three were escorted to the trenches by the three professors Pandora needed.

They were working side-by-side with the other three, who had avoided the brainwashing song and whistled while they worked. Pandora used this to her advantage, hiding her calls to Dumbledore with their loudest notes.

"I'll activate it now, Pandora. We'll leave Vanderbilt. It'll be too dangerous," Dumbledore replied quickly, keeping his voice soft because he knew she was out in the open, too out in the open.

"Pandora Fields, Pan, Yale understudy and program advocate," Vanderbilt leered, grabbing her arm tightly, making her cry out in pain as everyone else stood frozen. "Albus had plans for me back in the day, but those plans ended when I surpassed him in power, when I became the axis of all evil, maintaining my empire until...well until that stupid brat took me down with his pathetic powers!" Vanderbilt hissed, eying Harry's double, who was crumpled with a bleeding nose. "I knew that someone among the Hogwarts twats still had contact with that old fool, but I never expected it to be you. You have no allegiance to Dumbledore. You met the day before this happened, the day before you followed my suggestions and played with the lovely device. The others were brought for the same reason, except these three goof offs!" he screamed, tossing a shovel at the three boys. "You're still messing up my plan!

"And as for you, Miss Fields, I think you have something I need to keep you all from returning to your home world, especially Harry Potter!" Vanderbilt yelled, his voice echoing off the distant buildings as everyone gave him a perplexed look.

"That's not his name, Headmaster," Pandora smiled. Vanderbilt scoffed, releasing her and grabbing Henry instead.

"This must be Harry Potter! He has a scar and everything!"

"He's at Hogwarts still with the others. Only I came here fully," Pandora explained with a slight grin. She felt the amulet burn with power: Dumbledore was about to bring them all back from the other side, no matter what kind of magic Vanderbilt used. "And my allegiance has always been with my current headmaster, except for you. He lied to me about you, saying you worked with the Ministry of Magic to keep down my fear. I know the truth now, and my allegiance stands with Headmaster Dumbledore. If these people knew who I was talking about, their allegiance would be strong as well."

"This is preposterous! My magic, my power! He can't defeat me!" Vanderbilt screamed. Professor Snape's double disappeared beside him, along with Professor McGonagall's double and Professor Flitwick's. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were next, then Draco and his friends. That left Pandora and the boys, the only ones not under Vanderbilt's spell.

The transition felt easy, and they left the screaming man behind. The others melded into their Hogwarts bodies, becoming one person rather than two halves. Pandora smiled as Dumbledore cast a spell at the machine, destroying it before Vanderbilt could come through.

"Is he gone from this world?" Pandora asked softly. Dumbledore shrugged, shaking his head slightly.

"His power is still less than mine, but he still holds more than the average wizard. His dark side is also strong. If anything, his lust to defeat Good will bring him back. Until then, return to your studies...except for you, Pandora. You need to come with me," Dumbledore said sternly. Everyone nodded, following a nurse to the hospital wing to be examined, especially Harry, whose scar was burning while his nose bled profusely.

In Dumbledore's office, he asked for the amulet. It was a clear white now, its power gone. Rather than take it back completely, Dumbledore cast a spell on it, turning the stone black. He then handed it back to her.

"Your curiosity is welcomed in most circles, Miss Fields, but you almost caused a major problem this time around. The students now have unexplainable problems, and you? You'll be the talk of the school within the hour for your mysterious return. I feel you must leave, but I'm torn about that decision. You mean a lot to me after what you did for us, and I cannot let that go," Dumbledore explained, sighing heavily as he took a seat. "Heroes come in all shapes and sizes, and all personality types as well. You are the curious type, the type that causes their own problems before triumphantly solving them later. You're important, too important to waste.

"My request to you stands from before: do not touch things that do not belong to you. But I have a new addition to my requests. You are to tell no one of your adventures in the other world. The others are about to drink a potion deleting those memories from them, which would erase the memories of the last two months. The necessary ones will be returned to them, but the unnecessary ones need to remained buried. The best way to do this is for you to keep away from them, all of them.

"But I will not be a dictator like Headmaster Vanderbilt," Dumbledore smiled. "I want you to remain curious and learn all that you can during your stay at Hogwarts, and I want you to remain friendly with the school's many students. Just learn from this adventure, and try not to let history repeat itself."

"I understand, Headmaster. May I please head to the Great Hall now? The lack of good food on the other side has starved me," Pandora grinned. The two chuckled before Dumbledore stood, leading her into the Great Hall, where together they feasted as the world moved normally around them

***END OF VOLUME ONE***


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